Mtb Instruction & Skills

[Artista]

Artista...where do you ride your mtn bike? I live in Denver too and am fairly new to mtn biking. DH and I have been spending time up at Buff Creek.

Solobiker, our favorite place to ride so far is Ridgeline in Castle Rock. It's a series of interconnected trails, some of which are more fun to ride than others. The best route we've found so far seems to be about a moderate-beginner level. It starts with a short, steep climb, around a curve. Then it flattens out into about 1.5 miles of flow-y single track. Then there's about a mile of climbing with a few tight curves - but still very do-able. The top of the mesa offers beautiful vistas - a great place to stop & catch your breath & get some water. After a short rest, we follow about .5 miles of flow-y single track to the easy, rock gardens with mostly buried, head-size, rocks. Then starts the downhill with a couple of nerve racking switch backs. From there, we usually do a section that's about .5 miles long with some extended, steep climbing, followed by steep downhill. (I've been walking most of this part. I think I'm now strong enough to ride parts of it after I get used to my SPD's. I have the most problems unclipping when my legs are very tired, which they would be on this uphill section.) Then it's a super easy, .5 mile ride back to the parking lot. The whole ride is about 8 miles & takes me about an hour, although my strong, skilled, hubby says he can do it in about 40 minutes when he's alone. These trails are fairly populated but the users are mostly middle aged men on bikes, & women hikers with their dogs. Everyone is friendly uses good trail etiquette.

We also do Greenland, between Castle Rock & Colorado Springs. I consider these trails to be easy-beginner with nothing technical, but they offer beautiful views. The east-side trail is very wide with several miles of moderate climbing. The downhill portion is long with some sand just to keep things interesting.

The west side, Greenland trails, are mostly double track with some rolling hills. Again, nothing that I would consider very technical.

I did a women's group ride in Colorado Springs on the Ute Valley trails. The technical sections ranged from advanced beginner to intermediate level. These trails presented my first exposure to riding large, smooth, granite rock, sections. There was one section of very steep downhill with big, smooth, rocks that all of the intermediate riders did. I was astounded!

The Ute Valley trails would have been better if not for the young, male riders, with no consideration for others. Not sure if that's the norm there or an isolated experience.

We want to try the Bear Creek trails someday. I hear that they offer enough technicality to keep things interesting without striking fear into an advanced-beginner rider.

We should bring our husbands & do some rides together this summer.

ETA: I included a description of the first trail for clarification on what I consider moderate-beginner obstacles. I'm never sure about what others consider beginner, intermediate & advanced.